SYDNEY, N.S. — A Cape Breton high school basketball team may have been exposed to COVID-19 after attending the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation provincial championship earlier this month.
The Riverview Royals boys team took part in the three-day Division 1 tournament at Halifax Grammar School and Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, March 5-7, as part of the team’s final tournament of the season.
The games were played at the Halifax Grammar School gymnasium as well as the Homburg Athletic Centre gymnasium across the street on the Saint Mary’s campus.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority says people who were at the locations during the tournament may have had low-risk exposure to COVID-19.
“In public health, part of our work is to notify the public about low-risk exposures, so individuals can monitor their symptoms and take necessary steps to be assessed and tested, with a goal of limiting the spread of infectious diseases,” said Dr. Claudia Sarbu in a news release.
The Royals played their first game of the tournament on March 5 at Homburg Athletic Centre against Horton High School of Wolfville.
The remainder of the tournament games were split between both locations.
Along with Riverview and Horton, Citadel High School of Halifax, Auburn High School of Cole Harbour, Dartmouth High School, Halifax Grammar School, Cobequid Educational Centre of Truro, and Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School of Antigonish also attended the tournament.
According to the health authority, anyone exposed to the virus at the event would have developed symptoms by March 21.
The Cape Breton Post contacted the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education for comment on Monday, however, spokesperson Michelle Macleod said they wouldn’t be commenting.
“It would be breaching their privacy and would be personal information about the players,” said MacLeod when asked about the situation.
The Post also contacted the team's head coach David Ogbuah, however, he couldn’t be reached for comment before press time.
COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia.
The health authority said anyone at high-risk from the event has already been identified and is now in self-isolation.
In the release, Sarbu noted the risk is low for anyone not already identified who attended the event during the March 5-7 dates.
At the tournament, Riverivew posted a 1-2 record. The club lost to Horton during opening day action on March 5, before beating the Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars of Truro on March 6.
The Royals finished the season, losing to the Citadel Flames in the bronze medal semifinal on March 7.